So much for what I thought was my broody hen

[Ronnie2]

This morning I opened my coop, and nine eggs were in one nest box, but brood hen came out with the other chickens to come scratch in the free range yard. Same thing yesterday the hen after sitting on nest, but at 3pm, she joined the others, and didn't go back in until dusk. Question: Should I just leave the eggs, or just gather them, one egg one sitting onto of the others?

 

[Lilaby Babys]

Well if She wont sit on them they will die so if you want chicks I reccomend taking them into an incubator, low temps wont bother them as much as high temps because they maintain heat really well but they may already be dead if she was away for an hour, I think its best to discard them and start over to save yourself from the heartache

 

[Ronnie2]

Thanks Lilaby; I'll start butlding an incubator in the morning. I read on one of the sites this morning about Rush Lane Poultry.com on how he's build incubators from a cooler. Forgot to luck when I was at home for old cooler.

 

[Lilaby Babys]

Thanks Lilaby; I'll start butlding an incubator in the morning. I read on one of the sites this morning about Rush Lane Poultry.com on how he's build incubators from a cooler. Forgot to luck when I was at home for old cooler.

Yeah thats what I did, I didnt know that was a widespread idea but just be prepared for disapointment I did an experiment with a little giant styrofoam incubator and a homemade one made out of a cooler. I had a very high hatch rate out of the little giant and none hatch from the homemade one. If you do make a homemade one out of a cooler make sure you measure temp and humidity really well with a reliable thermometer.

 

[Ronnie2]

Thanks, I'll. Look on amazon for digital thermometer/ hygrometer